Wash apples and cut into pieces - no need to core or peel. I do cut any obvious bad spots off of the apples. Since I do not spray my apples at all - they aren't always the prettiest, but they are fine for applesauce.
Cook apples until they are soft. I only add a tiny bit of water in the bottom to keep them from sticking before the juice starts coming out.
Put apples through a food mill. Here is Andy helping - this food mill attaches to my kitchen aid mixer. Andy loves to do this part and is quite upset if I do it when he isn't home.
Return sauce to stove and season to taste. I added a little cinnamon, maple syrup and raw sugar.
This is the raw sugar that I used - you just grate a little off.
Here's Andy helping me adjust the seasonings. He told me it needed more cinnamon! LOL. He is so serious about helping.
Once you get it the seasoned, pack in jars and process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Don't pack in too big of jars - it has no preservatives so it will go moldy if you leave it in the fridge too long. I find pint jars are a good size for applesauce.
I'm going to do this!! I love your blog, its teaching me a lot.
ReplyDeletePS - I'm from BBC
Thanks Emmy. Let me know if you have any questions. Once you make homemade you'll never want to spend the money on it in the store again.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know making apple sauce was so easy! Thanks for the lesson. I don't have a food mill, but I guess if I peel the apples before cooking, I could always mash them and make chunky applesauce (you think this would work?), my kids like it chunky anyway! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! Can Andy come over and give me a hand too? ;-)
ReplyDeleteBTW I make apple sauce without cooking the apples. It's very tasty but won't keep all that long of course. And I use a lot of cinnamon as we all love it over here! ;-)
Angie - that would totally work - that's how I used to make it before I had a food mill. You can buy some cheap manual ones for making baby food that will work as well.
ReplyDeleteYolanda Elizabet - I'll gladly send Andy to you if I can come too! I never thought about making it without cooking the apples - I bet that is so much healthier - I'm going to try that! Thanks.
Kathi, how long will applesauce actually keep without going moldy? I want to make some and possibly can it, but I'm worried that we won't get it eaten before it goes bad.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited now! I'm glad I found your blog...
If it's canned, it will keep for a year or more (I have eaten it 3 years after canning). Once it is opened, however, you need to eat it with in a week or two.
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering about the storage of the cans...does it have to be in the frige? I have talked to people that say that canning applesauce without preservatives or sugar is not possible.
ReplyDeleteThe jars are shelf stable and do not have to be refrigerated. It is entirely possible to can without sugar or preservatives - that is why we do it - I do add some sugar to sweeten my apples, but I use alternative forms and not the over processed white sugar everyone is most familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI just googled applesauce and found your site, can I sweeten mine with just beet sugar?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Definitely. Beet sugar will work beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this tutorial! I am new to canning this year and just bought boxes of apples for eating, applesauce and apple pie filling. I am looking forward to NOT peeling and coring all those apples! I thought you had to.
ReplyDeleteHello! Thanks for posting this I just got through making some for my 7 month old daughter. I have no cans but will put this in a simple tupper ware bowl. How long do you believe it will be ok in the fridge? And once I get jars should I stick those in the fridge as well? and how long? I didn't add sugar to my applesauce because it is for the baby.
ReplyDeleteJoqui -
ReplyDeleteIt should keep in the fridge for a week or so - there are no preservatives so it isn't going to last very long - especially without sugar - sugar is a preservative of sorts.
Once it is canned it is shelf stable and does not have to be refrigerated and will keep for a year or more.
thanks so much for your help! she loves the applesauce and so does my hubby... he says he can really taste the difference =)
ReplyDeleteFor baby food, I put any pureed food in ice cube trays and freeze, then pop them out and put them in a gallon freezer bag. That way you can take out just how much you want at any given time.
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